Folding crate.



P. M. LONG.

v FOLDING CRATE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1909.

Patented June 20, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PQM. LONG.

FOLDING CRATE.

APPLICATION rum) mum, 1909.

Patented June 20, 1911.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

R5 col, wAsmNomN, n. c.

FTU

PETER 1V1. LONG, OF MOHRSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING CRATE.

senses.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER M. LONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mohrsville, in the county of Berks, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Crates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in folding crates, and more particularly to the type that may be folded into a small compass when not in use, or when empty and being shipped from place to place.

One object is the provision of a construction wherein the slats of the sides will bear on the frame bars of the ends when the parts are in folded position.

Another object is the provision of a bottom which is adapted to be folded within the space between the frame bars of one end, and within the plane of the said frame.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully hereinafter appear, the present invention consists in certain novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the device may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts in folded position. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the device showing the position of the bottom when the crate is open and showing by dotted lines the position of the bottom, when the crate is closed. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the device.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

As shown in the drawings the four corner posts are designated by the numerals 5, 6, 7 and 8, these posts are substantially square in cross section, and at their opposite ends are provided with trunnions 9. The upper ends of the posts are connected by Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 4, 1909.

Patented June 20, 1911. Serial No. 500,153.

the upper end cross pieces 10 and 11, having vertical openings for the reception of the trunnions 9 and the lower ends of the posts are connected by the lower end cross pieces 12 and 13. The opposite ends of the upper and lower cross pieces project beyond the posts, and the distance between the opposite outer sides of the cross pieces corresponds to the lengths of the side slats 12 The side slats correspond in thickness to the length of the over-hanging portions of the upper and lower cross pieces, so that when the slats are nailed or otherwise secured to the posts and the parts in unfolded position the outer faces of the side slats 13 will be in a vertical plane with the ends of the upper and lower cross pieces. The side slats 13 are arranged on the outer faces of the corn-er posts in spaced relation and extend throughout the lengths of those portions of the corner posts disposed between the projecting ends of the upper and lower cross pieces, and are arranged in a horizontal plane when the crate is in unfolded position. The end slats are designated in general by the numeral 14, these members are arranged in spaced relation, and have their opposite ends secured to the outer faces of the upper and lower cross pieces, and are disposed perpendicular to the side slats 13. Vith this construct-ion it is obvious that the sides and ends are arranged to fold one toward the other, and by virtue of the turning movement of the corner posts the inner faces of the slats will bear on the inner sides of the corner posts, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. hen the parts are in this position the thickness of the device will be exactly the same as the combined thicknesses of the end and side slats and one of the top cross pieces.

By referring now to the drawings it will be seen that a suitable bottom designated in general by the numeral 15 is provided. This member is composed of a plurality of spaced slats 16, the lengths of which correspond to the distance between the opposed inner faces of the side pieces when the parts are in unfolded or open position. It might here be stated that the distance between the opposed inner faces of the ends when the parts are in open or unfolded position will be somewhat less than the distance between the opposed upper and lower faces of the top and bottom cross pieces 11 and 12. The opposite ends of the slats 16 of the bottom-are connected together and held in spaced rela tion by means of cleats 17 and 18. The cleats are so secured to the opposite ends of the bottom, that their longitudinal centers will be substantially in alinement with the extremities of the bottom slats 16, whereby the outer side portion of each of the cleats will overhang the ends of the slats, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 8. The lengths of the cleats are somewhat less than the distance between the corner posts at one end of the crate, while the combined thicknesses of the cleat and bottom slat 16 corresponds to thelthickness of the corner posts or upper and lower cross pieces. The cleats are disposed on the upper faces of the bottom slats 16, and to the outer face of one of the cleats one leaf of the hinges 19 and 20 is secured. The opposite leaves of the hinges 19 and 20 are secured to the upper face of one of the lower cross pieces, and are so arranged that the inner sides'of the leaves will bear against the inner faces of the end slats 14, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. It is to be understood the widths of the leaves of the hinges 19 and 20 will. be exactly the same as the thickness of the cleats. Owing to the length of the bottom slat 16 and the disposition of the opposite cleat or that remote from the pivoted end of the bottom it will be obvious when the parts are in unfolded or open position that the lower face of the over-hanging portion of this cleat will bear on the upper face of the opposite lower cross piece, or that remote from the cross piece to which the bottom is pivoted, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

When it is desired to fold the device, it being understood that the parts are in position as shown in Fig. 1, the bottom 15 is first raised from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 to the position shown in dotted lines of the same figure and is thence brought upwardly into the space formed by the corner-posts and top and bottom connecting bars. It will be seen when the parts are in this position that the bottom is well within the plane of the inner faces of the upper and lower cross pieces, so that when the parts have been folded as before described, the bottom will be so nested that no bulging effect will be produced in the folded parts.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a device which is comparativelysimple in structure and inexpensive to manufacture and is so arranged as to occupy a minimum of space when the parts are in folded position.

Having thus described my invention what is claimed as new, is

A folding crate including corner post-s, each having tenons projecting from its opposite ends, upper and lower rails having openings loosely receiving said tenons, slats connected at their opposite ends to said rails and forming ends of the crate, slats connected at their opposite ends to said posts and forming sides of the crate, slats arranged below the plane of the top faces of said lower rails and having their opposite ends spaced from and confronting the edges of said lower rails and forming the bottom of the crate, cleats connecting the opposite ends of said bottom slats and bearing directly upon the top faces of said lower rails, the outer longitudinal edges of said cleats being spaced from the opposing faces of the crate end slats, and a hinge arranged upon that exposed portion of one of the lower rails lying between the opposing cleat edge and crate end slats, said hinge having one leg connected to the cleat edge and the other leg connected to the top face of said lower rail, said hinge further lying entirely below the plane of the top face of said cleat whereby contact of the crate contents with the hinge is prevented, the space between the longitudinal edge of the cleat at the free end of the bottom and the adjacent crate end slats permitting of the insertion of the fingers for rocking the bottom-out of operative posit-ion.

In testimony whereof, I alliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

PETER M. LONG.

Witnesses SELAS STAHL, JAMEs. BLATT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

